Health Care Costs Reduction Act of 2012

Floor Speech

I am extremely disappointed that this bill, which addresses important issues, was needlessly injected with partisanship.

The medical device industry is integral to both our health care system and our economy.

Regardless of our political leanings, we should all be able to agree that it is in all of our best interests to support a thriving domestic medical device industry.I have met with a variety of people on this issue--innovators, manufacturers, patients, consumer advocates, and many other stakeholders.

I understand their concerns about the impact that this policy would have, especially on small firms and in California, and wish we had the opportunity to look at a range of options to address them.

Unfortunately, in the bill before us, the House Majority has once again found a way to poison a bill by slashing important insurance provisions in the Affordable Care Act.

Yet again they have shown that they are willing to disregard American families in order to get a pithy sound bite and further their own divisive agenda.By removing protections for low- and moderate income families who receive subsidies to purchase private health insurance, this bill pits American families verse manufacturers.

It essentially punishes people for improving their situation by getting a new job or a raise.

The result? According to the Congressional Budget Office, an estimated 350,000 families would be added to the uninsured ranks, and others would be left debating between going for a promotion or paying a hefty tax bill.Health care is a right deserved by all, and shouldn't come with fear of punishment.

And the idea of asking American families to choose between having health insurance and improving their financial situations is preposterous.Through this bill, the other side has shown that they are more concerned with dismantling health care reform than ensuring that the American people have access to health care.